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North
Africa: Training and Replacements
December
1942- January 1943
 The
1st Ranger Battalion had more than proven their value
in the war effort with the well executed surprise night landing at
Arzew, North Africa. Preparations were in progress to initiate
the creation of a 2nd Ranger Battalion. This
decision-making activity was taking shape in England within the
Headquarters European Theater (ETOUSA).
At
this time the Rangers were staying in the beach huts, or vacation
villas of sorts, near Arzew. The villas had marble floors where the Rangers slept for a good long time after their
successful mission in Arzew, on those hard stone floors. They
spent their days and nights training, doing speedmarches,
calisthenics, cliff climbing and yet more amphibious landing
exercises. Based on their targeted training, they felt there was a specific mission in the works for
them, but were unaware of what
that might be. This was the life of all World War II Rangers, never
knowing when, or where they would be called to action.
1st
Ranger Battalion, Company "B" Arzew 1942
photo
courtesy Ranger Bill Arimond 1st/3rd Ranger Battalions
1st
Ranger Battalion, Company "D" Arzew December 1942
photo
courtesy Ranger Gino Mercuriali 1st Ranger Battalion
1st
Ranger Battalion, Company "F" Arzew 1942
photo courtesy Ranger Donald Frederick 1st/4th Ranger Battalions
Rangers
and Arabs in North Africa
photo courtesy Ranger Donald Frederick 1st/4th Ranger Battalions
Finally,
after a long stay in the villas along the coast near Arzew, the
orders came to attack an island near Sicily on New Year’s Eve.
They were loaded into boats, and in route to their mission, when a
storm came up making it impossible for the coxswain to maneuver the
landing craft onto the shores. This mission would have secured the
island in true Ranger fashion, where they would have attacked by surprise in
the dead of night, greatly reducing the number of civilian lives
lost. But, due to the high seas from the storm, their
mission was aborted. Instead, the island was bombed, which resulted
in a high cost of civilian lives.
This
is noted here to stress the significance of future Ranger missions
where they would spearhead an invasion, or raid by night in a
complete surprise attack, securing seaports, airports, and towns. Only then, would the
supporting troops and machinery land to maintain these areas. The
element of surprise executed by the Rangers often resulted in
surrenders and fewer lives lost. It also eliminated civilians, caught in a fierce battle,
from losing their lives.
1st
Rangers, led by Darby, who secured the gun battery high above the
port of Arzew
Note
the ships in the background holding troops who landed only after
the Rangers secured the area
photo courtesy Ranger Donald Frederick 1st/4th Ranger Battalions
The Rangers still credit their many successes to this day, to
their commanders, and the expert training they received. It was
the preparedness they gained from the endless training that
enabled them to go in as a small band and secure large areas where
they were almost always outnumbered by the enemy. The element of
surprise eliminated the loss of lives and allowed them to secure
an area in record time, often before the enemy knew what had hit
them.
January
1943
The
1st Ranger Battalion welcomed replacements. They had been isolated from the general population and with the new
100, or so replacements, came flu’s and illnesses they hadn’t
been exposed to. So, at this time, the original 1st
Rangers spent some time sick with colds and flu's that came in with the new
Rangers.
References: Rangers in World War II, by Robert W.
Black, 1st Battalion Rangers who were there.
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